How to Win the Hearts of Your Volunteers

Show Notes

Show Notes and Resources Mentioned:

You must care more about who your people are becoming than what they do on your team.
You must focus on their heart condition more than the button they push.

Here are 10 ways you can do on your team to win the hearts of your volunteers:

1. Give out compliments that you mean.
Freely give out genuine compliments. Make a conscious decision to tell your volunteers often what a great job they are doing and what their service means to your church and to others.

2. Speak and act honestly.
Be genuine. Never lie. Don’t fake it, people see through that a mile away. Be who you say you are. Let your actions match your words.

3. Attend events in the life of your team members.
When you can, attend sporting events, community plays, tournaments, or anything else your team members may be involved in. Take opportunities to give business to your team members.

4. Listen more than you speak.
Listening is a form of caring. When you stop and spend time to listen to someone, you’re loving them. Your body language is most of your communication with someone. Slow yourself down. Lock eyes, nod, show that you’re listening with your whole body, not just your speech.

5. Discern and nurture talent.
Give your volunteers opportunities to thrive at a gift that they are good at.

6. Show them appreciation.
Schedule time in your week to personally contact your volunteers just to see how they are doing and to tell them how much you appreciate them.

7. Smile and Laugh often.
If you’re bored and it looks like you don’t want to be at church serving, guess what kind of culture you’re creating.

8. Initiate physical contact.
Handshakes, hugs, high-five’s, fist bumps, and other physical contact lets people know that you care about them.

9. Encourage three times more than you critique.
People want to be cared for and cheered on. They want to be loved. Encouragement is a gift. Give it freely and often.

10. Share in their life struggles and celebrations.
People know that you care when you’re there. It’s a simple as that. Be there in the big moments in people’s lives. They will remember it.

Click Here to Download a FREE Transcript of this Episode.

Quotes from this Episode:

Suggested Tweet: "You have to put the emotional and spiritual needs of your volunteers over your systems and processes. @carlbarnhill"

Suggested Tweet: "It's a command to Love each other, when we do we are becoming more like Jesus. @carlbarnhill"

Suggested Tweet: "People know that you care when you’re there. Be there in the big moments in people’s lives. They will remember it."

Sharable Content:

I want you to have the resources you need to lead your volunteer team well. That’s why in nearly every episode of the podcast I like to provide you with downloadable, sharable content that you can take back and use as you lead your teams. This content is absolutely FREE of charge. You can take it, copy it, and distribute it to your team members. May God bless your ministry as you serve Him.

FREE .PDF Version of my list of “10 Ways to Win the Hearts of Your Volunteers.”